(ANSA) - Rome, June 3 - The Italian unemployment rate dropped to 12.4% in April, down 0.2 of a percentage point on the previous month, Istat said on Wednesday. The national statistics agency said that the number of unemployed people fell by 40,000 (1.2%) to 3.161 million. It added that this figure was 17,000 (0.5%) lower than in April 2014.
The number of people in employment, on the other hand, increased by 159,000 (0.7%) in April compared to March, ending two months of declines and taking the total back up to the level of late 2012, Istat said. As a result the employment rate rose to 56.1%, up 0.4% of a percentage point. The number of people in work was up 261,000 (1.2%) compared to the same month in 2014 and the employment rate was 0.7% of a percentage point higher.
Premier Matteo Renzi said that the data made his government even more determined to press ahead with its ambitious reform agenda. "We have 159,000 more people in employment in April in the first full month of the Jobs Act," Renzi wrote on his Twitter account, @matteorenzi, referring to the government's controversial labour reform which, among other things, weakens the laws against unfair dismissal to encourage firms to hire people on permanent, open-ended contracts. "Full ahead with the reforms: even more determined. #lavoltabuona (#therighttime)".